Love the Demon
by Spunky0ne
Summary: A vicious attack leaves Kuchiki Tetsuya near death and stops Ichigo and Renji from admitting their growing feelings to each other. As Tetsuya clings to life, his fiance's clan proposes a marriage between their heir and the newly discovered Shiba heir. Ichigo/Renji mpreg
1. Trail of Blood

**Love the Demon**

**(For Eva Galana, who knew I could not resist and tempted me with this delicious storyline!)**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 1: Trail of Blood**

"Here is your tea, Kuchiki taichou," Tetsuya said, setting a cup of hot green tea on his cousin's desk, "I am finished with everything assigned to me."

"Very well," Byakuya said, a slight smirk on his face as he observed the impatience held just beneath the surface of his younger cousin's sapphire blue eyes, "You are excused for the evening."

"Arigatou, Kuchiki taichou!" Tetsuya said, turning immediately and flash stepping out the front door of the sixth divsion.

Renji looked up from his desk, unable to hold back a soft chuckle.

"What was that about?" he asked curiously, "He seemed in a hurry to get out of here. Was it something I said?"

"No," Byakuya said, glancing at the door as it closed behind the departing third seat, "Actually, he received a hell butterfly earlier that seemed to set him off. He was somewhat distracted ever since it arrived."

"Well, it didn't stop him from doing his job," Renji said, shaking his head, "I don't get why he's a third seat, Taichou. He has buckets of practical knowledge, strong powers and a bankai? He should be a fukutaichou at least, ne?"

Byakuya shook his head gently.

"Tetsuya does have a great deal of technical and tactical knowledge from his years as our clan's head of security and acting as my bodyguard, but this is his first time holding a post in the military. He must adjust to the chain of command here and widen his focus from just protecting me."

"He seems to be enjoying himself. And he's doing one hell of a great job too. I'm uh...getting kinda nervous," the redhead laughed, "I know you've been wanting me to promote..."

"And you will," Byakuya said with certainty, "While we wait for that, it makes good sense to work with Tetsuya to acclimatize him."

"Ah!" Renji exclaimed, "Right, so when I go, he is all ready to step in."

"I hope for it to be a smooth transition."

"I think it will be," Renji stated with certainty, "He's coming along great."

"That is partly due to your involvement," Byakuya said gratefully, "You have put a great deal of effort into assisting Tetsuya in settling in and training for advancement."

"Heh, it doesn't take much effort, really," Renji chuckled, "Just point him and that fleabag horse of his in the direction of trouble and he's all over it. He damned smart, Taichou. He'll make taichou someday."

"Perhaps," Byakuya said, an edge of deep pride leaking into his voice.

"So, what was up that had him so flustered?" Renji asked, looking back at his work, "You'd think he had a hot date or something."

"Something of that nature. The hell butterfly was from the Hiromatsu clan, most likely his fiancé, Hiromatsu Shirohoshi."

Renji blinked in surprise.

"Tetsuya's getting married?"

"Yes, although it has not been officially announced. It is an arranged marriage sought by the Hiromatsu clan. They are impressed with Tetsuya's abilities and reputation, so have sought his hand for their heir, despite Tetsuya being half-noble.

"And how does he feel about that?" the redhead asked, frowning, "I mean, for nobles I guess it's more to be expected, but for us common folk..."

"Tetsuya is accepting of the union, and in fact has bonded well with his affianced already. They are careful to adhere to the rules of courtship, but it seems that they are very much in love with each other."

"Huh," Renji mused, shaking his head, "I just can't imagine something like that."

He sighed softly as he returned to his work, but looked up with a curious expression a moment later.

"Hey uh, Taichou, you think that now that Ichigo is heir of the Shiba clan that he will have to have an arranged marriage?"

"It is a distinct possibility," Byakuya said, nodding briefly, "With the revelation and acceptance of Ichigo as the Shiba heir and the return of the Shiba name to the rosters of the noble clans, the Shiba clan and mine are equal in power and status. It is very likely that other clans wanting to forge a positive alliance with the Shiba clan or desiring to improve their status among the noble houses will seek Ichigo's hand for one of their kin."

"I wonder how he's gonna handle that," Renji mused, taking on a pensive look as he addressed his work again.

Byakuya's eyes lifted and observed the redhead quietly for a moment before lowering again.

"Renji," he said, making the other man look up in surprise, "Why don't you just tell him how you feel?"

"Wh-wha...you...you _know_, Taichou?" Renji stammered, "But I...!"

"Oh, do not worry," Byakuya assured him, smirking slightly, "It is just that I work very closely with you, and that Rukia has also noticed something in your behavior. You needn't concern yourself that you have become too obvious. But...I think that if you have serious intentions about Shiba Ichigo, you had best speak up about it now, before his hand is spoken for."

"Y-yeah," Renji sighed, biting at his lip, "Well, we know how that would go, ne Taichou? You married a commoner and your clan got pretty much up in arms about it."

"But they accepted it," Byakuya explained, "And I believe that Shiba Isshin and Kukakku are not the type to overlook honest love in the name of clan relations. That is part of the reason why the Shiba clan got itself into so much trouble."

"Right," Renji said, looking even more troubled, "Well, you know, I don't want to cause any trouble for Ichigo. He's having to do a lot of adjusting to things as it is. He needs a friend now, and that's what I'm being for him."

"I understand," Byakuya said, giving him an oddly warm and sympathetic look as the redhead left of the conversation and addressed the papers on his desk.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"Now, you wait here and do not stick your fuzzy nose into our business!" Tetsuya scolded the tall, black Arabian stallion as he slid down off of the lovely creature's back

Arashi snickered softly, blinking in the bright moonlight.

_As though I would be interested in your secret rendezvous with your lover_, the stallion's wispy voice whispered into the young noble's mind, _I will see that you are not disturbed._

"By anyone, including you this time!" Tetsuya answered reprovingly.

_I don't know why it matters. The two of you will be married shortly, and anyway, it is not like you are going to be able to keep your preg-"_

"Hush!" Tetsuya hissed, looking around, "Did you hear that?"

_What?_

"I do not know. It was an odd whistle of some sort."

Arashi scanned the area briefly, laying back his ears and stamping discontentedly.

_Perhaps you should not meet him tonight, Master. Something doesn't feel right._

"Well, he is expecting me," Tetsuya explained, "And I have to tell him. We have to make plans for concealing it until after our wedding."

_Right. Well, off you go, then. I will stand guard._

"Arigatou," Tetsuya said, nodding, "Just you mind you do not cause trouble yourself."

_I will attempt not to_, the stallion laughed softly as Tetsuya flash stepped into the trees.

Arashi stepped more slowly into the cover of brush and trees and scanned the area, first with his sharp eyes, then by extending his reiatsu. Sensing nothing out of the ordinary, he flicked his ears about, listening intently. Still on guard, he lowered his graceful head and nibbled at the field grasses.

A sudden rise in reiatsu startled the horse as a powerful reiatsu field rose around him.

_What? Master?_

The stallion's sapphire eyes widened and he reared, giving an equine squeal of rage.

_Master!_

_Does he not hear me?_

_TETSUYA! They are...!_

XXXXXXXXXX

"Oh!" Tetsuya gasped as a warm arm wrapped around him from behind and a line of kisses were run up the side of his throat, "Shiro-sama, how do you...d-do that? I did not even sense you!"

"Eh," said the Hiromatsu heir, nibbling on Tetsuya's soft earlobe and sending sweet shivers through him, "It's a family ability. We've become very good at moving around with stealth. That's why so many of my relatives make it into the second division."

"Right," panted the blue-eyed noble, squirming free and turning, only to be met with a melting kiss, "Sh-shiro-sama!"

"Stop calling me that," the other young man complained, "It is just Shiro to you, Tetsuya."

"Ah, but using that now might lead me to slip and say it that way in public. We have to be discreet until we are wed, Shiro-sama."

Shirohoshi laughed and tightened his arms around Tetsuya, sinking into his mouth and kissing him until he swayed unsteadily on his feet.

"I have overcome my sweet Tetsuya," he chuckled, reaching for the tie at his lover's waist, "Now, you will surrender to me?"

"In a moment," Tetsuya said breathlessly, peeking through fallen strands of wavy black hair at his brown-haired counterpart, "There is...oh!"

He lost his breath as Shiro kissed his way down a fine-carved collarbone, then glanced up into Tetsuya's flustered expression.

"Sorry," the Hiromatsu heir laughed, loosening his grip on Tetsuya, then admiring the happy expression on the younger man's lovely face, "I just cannot help but want to devour you the moment I see you, Tetsuya."

A blush rose on Tetsuya's face and throat, prompting a growl from the Hiromatsu heir and another bout of heated kissing.

"Sh-mmm-shiro!" Tetsuya panted, "There...is something that I have to...ah...hah...I have to tell you!"

"Oh, very well," sighed the other man, letting him go again.

Tetsuya swallowed hard, still flushed and slightly muddled.

"What is it? Byakuya-san hasn't changed his mind about letting you marry me, has he? I'll kill the man!" Shiro said jokingly.

"No," laughed Tetsuya, "It is nothing like that. Byakuya-sama is very pleased that we are going to be married. I think if you hadn't propsed, I might simply have died single. It isn't as though there were that many noble families seeking my hand. I suppose if my name was Shiba Ichigo..."

"Stop right there," Shiro said reprovingly, "Don't say things like that, Tetsuya. I love you. I loved you even before my family sought our marriage."

"But they only accepted me because they learned of..."

"Shh, it doesn't matter to me. I love you, and I would love you even if you weren't going to be going to serve in his majesty's Norite someday."

"I have the potential," Tetsuya corrected him, flushing more deeply, "but I am not there yet."

"It doesn't matter," Shiro insisted, his dark brown eyes fixing Tetsuya in place, "Whether you are or not, I love you, Kuchiki Tetsuya. Now...what is it you had to tell me?"

"I..."

He paused and the two men laughed softly at the arrival of a hell butterfly just in time to halt Tetsuya's admission.

"_Shirohoshi-sama," _said the dour voice of one of the Hiromatsu elders, "_An emergency meeting of the clan elders is about to commence and your presence is required. Please return to the manor as soon as you are able."_

"Forget it," Shiro sighed rebelliously, "I am _not _giving up making love to my sweet Tetsuya so that I can go and be _bored to death _by those ridiculous old men!"

"Nonsense," Tetsuya said, shaking his head and shoving the other man away gently,"We are not even supposed to be seeing each other without our attendants! This is already risky. We shouldn't push our..."

Tetsuya's breath was taken away as he was brought down onto a soft fall of plum blossoms that fluttered up off of the ground and into the air as the two young men came down upon them.

"Shiro!"

"Sorry!" his lover said, nipping at his lips playfully, "I just _really_ don't want to go back there. Will you slip out and spend the night with me?"

"I am supposed to leave for a two week mission in Karakura Town in the morning," Tetsuya said, shaking his head.

"Well, you need to meet with me before then, or I will be driven crazy wondering what you were about to tell me."

"I was going to tell you that I am..."

He went silent as Shiro disappeared and his echoing voice called back.

"Meet me later at the lake cabin!"

"Sh-shiro!"

He let out a flustered breath and shook his head again, smiling helplessly.

"Shiro..." he whispered affectionately.

He let out a happy sigh and rested a hand on his slim belly.

"Well, you see what he's like, ne? Let us hope that you will be a bit less heedless than your father."

He looked around, reaching out with his senses, and frowned as he failed to locate Arashi.

"Arashi?" he said in a tentative voice, his hand straying to his weapon.

An uncomfortable twinge gripped him at the lack of a response.

He moved back onto the trail he had followed into the forest and emerged where he had left the stallion only a short time before.

"Arashi?" he said again, reaching out with his senses.

His heart started to race as he spotted the stallion collapsed within the brush near the edge of the forest.

"Arashi!" he cried, flash stepping towards the stallion.

_M-master, no! They are...too strong. Run, Tetsuya!_

"No!" the noble cried, letting his reiatsu swell around him and summoning his power, "Bankai, Koori no bakuha, Re-kuhime!"

He was steps from Arashi when the hum of power warned him of an impending attack and he swiftly sent copies of himself running in several directions. Kido blasts erupted all around, beginning to destroy the myriad of decoys.

"Arashi," Tetsuya panted, falling onto his knees beside the stallion and quickly assessing his injuries.

_Kami, he is hurt too badly. I am going to have to fight them off somehow._

He loosed several volleys of ice blades in the direction from which the attacks were coming, but the enemies quickly moved into new positions and continued attacking.

_I am going to use the rescue form that we keep at the manor,_ he told the collapsed stallion, laying his hands on the beast's heaving belly, _Hold on, Arashi!_

He focused on the waterform that he left for emergencies in a corner of the barn where Arashi was stabled. But as he invoked his power, something struck the shielding that surrounded the two, forcing Tetsuya away from the stallion as Arashi suddenly disappeared. Tetsuya reacted immediately, sending a crippling burst of ice blades in all directions, then shifting to use of his shikai to send another group of decoys in all directions. But even as he shifted from form to form to escape, kido blasts erupted again all around him, destroying them before he could break free of the area.

A shock of kido struck his body from behind, sending him crashing to the ground. He rolled to his feet, bringing up an ice shield, only to be caught by an attack from the side. Thrown off his feet again, he dragged himself back onto his feet and found himself surrounded by seven cloaked and hooded figures.

"What do you want?" Tetsuya demanded, his chest heaving as he shifted nervously, trying to watch all directions at once for incoming attacks, "Why are you doing this? Who are you?"

He forcibly relaxed his legs and arms, continuing the slight movements to widen his field of vision. His enemies waited until one of them nodded, then all of them attacked at once.

Tetsuya's power exploded around him, throwing deadly ice blades in all directions as he spotted an opening and flash stepped madly. The enemies flooded the area with kido blasts, destroying the ice and making the air cloudy and cold. Tetsuya disappeared into the mist, but was struck with several kido spells at once and crashed down near the edge of a drop off.

He heard his attackers calling to each other and gathering to search for him, and he crawled towards the cover of the trees, setting more waterforms as he went. He traversed the distance painfully slowly, fearing that at any moment he would be found. His worst fears were realized at the fringes of the forest, when a dark figure appeared suddenly in front of him and fired a kido blast at point blank range.

In a last ditch effort, Tetsuya shifted to a waterform he had set back along the ridge. Back in front of his enemy, Tetsuya's body collapsed and dissolved into a puddle of water. Tetsuya crawled along the edge, looking desperately for a safe place to drop down. But just as he spotted a small ledge down below, strong hands took hold of him and kido blasts destroyed the last of his waterforms.

"You done, half-blood?" a rough voice rasped at him.

Tetsuya gritted his teeth and glared back at the hooded man as a band snapped onto his wrist, sealing his powers.

"Why are you doing this?" Tetsuya asked, groaning as a knee was driven into his abdomen.

He dropped to his knees, then was dragged to his feet and struck forcefully enough to take him to the ground again. Painful shocks of kido jolted his fallen form, bringing him to the edges of consciousness. He heard vicious laughter and a low, hissed order, then everything went mercifully black.

_**(Thanks so much to everyone reading! Next chapter: Renji goes to visit Ichigo, planning to reveal his feelings for his friend, and both are shocked when devastating news comes from Kuchiki Manor.)**_


	2. Seeds of Doubt

**Chapter 2: Seeds of Doubt**

**(Thanks so very much to Firebirdever (Starfire to the rescue with another chapter!), MissLilly2012 (Yup, I'm rolling in the plot bunnies...my own and everyone else's! Think I'm gonna drown...), TomyAllen (Here's that 'more' you were wanting! And even more is in the works!), DragonPrincess01 (Here you go! :) Enjoy!), Kami-no-Namida (Aww, thanks! So glad you like!), Eva Galana (No problem! Running wild with the plot bunnies is what I do best. *is buried under wild, rampaging bunnies*), StephanieRie (Yup, I've been planning to do a Ren/Ichi for a long time. I love to try new things! And this one is moving quickly...very exciting to write!), Lochness Nessie (Aww, well I'll keep the chapters rolling out quickly. It's burning away at my head all day long. This is a really good storyline! I can't wait for it to play out. I have trouble concentrating on RL when I get caught up in someothing like this!), and Hotaru Nakama (I am pleased to attempt a new pairing like this one. I went back and watched a bunch of Ren/Ichi interactions to make sure I have the right 'feel' for them. Can't wait to get them going romantically!) Enjoy the chapter!)**

"Ichigo-sama, you have a visitor."

Ichigo looked up at his attendant in surprise.

"Kinda late, isn't it?" he queried.

"I thought so too," agreed his brown-eyed attendant, brushing several misbehaving strands of brown hair our of his eyes, "but it is one of your nakama, Ichigo-sama, so I thought you would not mind."

"Huh, just as long as it's not another one of those old fart elders trying to tell me what to do. I thought our clan was less stuffy than the Kuchiki clan and the others. Why do we _have_ guys like that on our council?"

"I am not certain, Ichigo-sama," the attendant said patiently, "but aren't old people supposed to be wise?"

"Yeah," Ichigo chuckled, "They're supposed to be. But I don't think that's how it really works out sometimes. All right, let me put a robe on and I'll be right out. Tell...um..."

"Renji-san, sir."

"Ah, tell Renji to hang on a sec."

"Hai, Ichigo-sama."

"Thanks, Toshi."

Ichigo yawned and got up from his desk, setting down the papers he had been reading.

_It seems like I haven't done much but spend time in council and reading up on clan history since Dad and Kukakku announced my naming as heir. Renji and I have barely seen each other since I got my ass thrown out of the spirit dimension and went back to the living world to figure out just who the hell I am._

_I still wonder about that..._

He tied his robe at the waist and ran his fingers through his unruly hair, yawning sleepily, then exited his room and walked out to the greeting room, where Renji waited.

"Hey, Renji," he greeted the redhead casually, "What going on?"

"Eh, sorry to bother you so late, but I just got off of work and wanted to ask you something."

"No problem. It's been a while," the ginger haired youth said, smiling, "Come on and Toshi will make us some tea."

"Sounds good," Renji said, removing his sword from his hip, then sitting down on the sofa.

"Must be busy over at the sixth, ne?" Ichigo asked, "I've barely seen you, Byakuya and Rukia since the quincy war ended."

"Yeah," replied the redhead, scratching the back of his neck nervously as he tried to summon the nerve to say why he had really come to visit, "Soul Society's still a pretty big mess and work piled up while we were all healing from the battles. But you look like you came through all right, ne?"

Ichigo nodded, a grateful look coming onto his face.

"I wouldn't have if it wasn't for all of you. You, Byakuya, Rukia...hell, everyone. I didn't know how many people were really behind me until this all happened. But...it's still pretty awful, all the people who died."

"Well, now the remaining quincies have agreed not to destroy souls, hollow or otherwise, except when it is a matter of life or death. The balance has been restored, so there's no more need to fight."

"Yeah," Ichigo agreed, "It's a relief to get back to normal things...fighting with my dad, teasing my sisters, you know. Though it sucks that all anyone thinks about around here is who their going to marry me off to."

"What? Really?" Renji said, trying to force down the anxiety the other young man's words caused.

"Oh, Dad and Kukakku say that they won't force me to accept anyone right away, but I must have half of the clans offering their daughters, and a few sons too! I guess even knowing I'm half quincy doesn't scare them off. But then, it's not about me, really...just trying to get a leg up against the other clans. It's a pain in the ass. And we're not able to just tell them to go to hell. We have to be _nice_ about it. But then, being Byakuya and Rukia's friend, you know about that, huh?"

"Ah, yeah. It sucks, but just don't let it get to you."

Renji hesitated, glancing out the window and trying to gather his nerve.

"So," said Ichigo, taking a cup of hot green tea from Toshi as the attendant returned, "you had something you wanted to talk about?" Ichigo asked.

"Uh, yeah," Renji said, swallowing hard and trying like hell not to blush, "You see..."

He let out a frustrated breath as a hell butterfly entered the room, blinking in surprise as he realized that it was not for Ichigo, but for him.

"Huh?" he mused.

_Renji_, said Byakuya's voice, sounding oddly tired and slightly muffled, _I apologize for disturbing you so late, but my cousin, Tetsuya, and his stallion have been attacked. I need you to come to the crime scene immediately, as we have been assigned to investigate. Renji...if you can, will you please find Inoue Orihime? We have not been able to find her yet, and Tetsuya is...he is unresponsive."_

"Shit..." breathed the redhead, going pale.

"I'll get Orihime," Ichigo said instantly, "She's staying here. She was helping out at the fourth and was too tired to go back to the living world tonight. I hate waking her, but it sounds like Tetsuya really needs her!"

"Hurry," Renji said, his voice catching, "It sounds like Tetsuya's in a bad way."

Ichigo nodded and flash stepped away. Renji stood and grabbed his sword, sliding it into the tie at his waist, then trying to quell the rush of adrenaline that was making his heart pound almost painfully hard.

"Tetsuya," he whispered, looking out the window as a mental image of Byakuya's friendly younger cousin appeared in his mind, "Hang in there, okay? We're coming."

He wanted to scream as the minutes seemed to stretch out unbearably, while Ichigo woke Orihime and hustled her back to the greeting room. As they exited Shiba Manor, Ichigo swept the girl into his arms and began to flash step, with Renji at his side. They followed a haze of pathways, out into a rugged area near Kuchiki Manor, angling toward kido lights that had been set up in the area of the attack.

The three made sounds of surprise and dismay as they reached the horrific scene and found a number of shinigamis standing near where Byakuya knelt alongside Hanatarou, who was silently crying as he held a stasis field over Tetsuya's motionless body.

"Oh gods..." Renji managed, the breath going out of him painfully as he took in the sight of his friend and fellow squad member.

Tetsuya laid facedown, his head turned slightly aside and eerily lit by the kido lamps around him. Alongside him laid the pieces of his diminishing zanpakutou, held back from disappearing only by Hanatarou's stasis spell The young noble's pretty blue eyes were half-opened, the pupils gone wide and black and the surface fixed and glassy. Blood stained Tetsuya's torn clothing and colored the ground around him, seeping into Byakuya's haori and shihakushou as he knelt at his cousin's side, holding one pale, limp hand in his.

"Holy hell," Ichigo whispered, tears coming to his eyes, "What in kami's name happened here?"

Ichigo and Renji froze as Byakuya's head lifted and his eyes found them, carrying a look of desperation wholly unlike the usually stoic clan leader ever wore.

"Inoue Orihime," he said, his eyes fixing on the girl, "Please, can you help him?"

Orihime disentangled herself from the still spellbound Ichigo's arms, and ran to Tetsuya's side, loosing her power and dropping onto her knees beside the fallen shinigami as a golden oval healing field rose over him. Ichigo and Renji moved closer, watching wordlessly as the human girl sought to save their friend.

"What happened, Taichou?" Renji asked shakenly, feeling a shiver pass through him at the pain reflected in his superior's dark eyes, "Who would do something like this?"

"We are not certain," Byakuya answered softly, "What we do know is that Tetsuya left our division and came out here, apparently with Arashi. Arashi was able to communicate to us that he had come here to meet his fiancé."

"Way out here?" queried Ichigo, "Why?"

"They were under rules of courtship and likely wanted to speak privately, without their attendants. They would have wanted to meet somewhere where they would not be seen alone together. And as the war had ended and things are quiet, Tetsuya spends a great deal of time out in nature anyway. He would have been perfectly at ease here, especially with Arashi nearby."

"Taichou, I know those two pretty well," Renji said, frowning, "And they aren't the type to be taken by surprise. Was Arashi able to tell you anything more about what happened?"

"He wasn't able to impart much. He too was gravely injured. He said that Tetsuya left him to meet his fiance in the copse of trees over there. He wasn't sure if Shirohoshi ever arrived, but after, our team found signs indicating that he had been with Tetsuya a short distance from here. Arashi was attacked suddenly. He indicated that he had only a vague sense of something not being right, but he was not able to sense his enemies until they were upon him. There were multiple assailants and he was overcome quickly, without being able to warn Tetsuya. He doesn't know much beyond that, only that Tetsuya attempted to use an escape waterform that he keeps in Arashi's stable to get the two of them out of danger, but only Arashi arrived at the barn. As you know, when using his waterforms, if Tetsuya is stricken twice in quick succession, the waterform shatters. This suggests that Tetsuya was attacked before he could escape the area, but he managed to get Arashi through."

"H-how is ol' Fleabag?" Renji asked in a choked voice, "Is he gonna be all right?"

"Our animal specialist is with him at the manor. Everything is being done, and Makoto sounded optimistic about his prognosis when he last communicated about ten minutes or so ago. But if Tetsuya dies, Arashi will not survive either. They are soul-linked. One cannot survive without the other."

"Have you got any idea who the bastards are who did this? Any clues at all?" Ichigo asked, anger swelling in his voice.

"We..." Byakuya began, but he broke off as a young man with dark brown hair and widened brown eyes flash stepped into view, a short distance from them, followed by several attendants and a man who looked to be an older relative.

"Tetsuya!" the young man called out frantically, rushing towards his collapsed fiancé.

To everyone's surprise, as the young man approached, Byakuya came to his feet, drawing his weapon and slashing at the Hiromatsu heir.

"Byakuya-san, what are you doing?" cried Shirohoshi, drawing his own blade and blocking the Kuchiki clan leader's attack.

"Whoa, Taichou!" exclaimed Renji.

"Byakuya!" Ichigo exclaimed, staring.

"Byakuya," said the older of the two Hiromatsu clan members, "Leave off attacking my brother at once!"

"Let me through!" Shirohoshi shouted furiously, "Why are you doing this?"

"Take this man into custody!" Byakuya ordered Renji, "He is under suspicion of..."

Byakuya looked back down at Tetsuya, a throb of emotion making it difficult to find his voice again.

"He is under suspicion for the attempted murder of Kuchiki Tetsuya!"

"What?" Shirohoshi gasped, paling, "You can't be serious! What are you saying?"

"Put your sword down," Renji ordered the young noble, "You're not going to help Tetsuya by resisting."

The sword dropped from Shirohoshi's nerveless hand, and he escaped the reaching hands of the shinigamis around him, gaining Tetsuya's side and falling onto his knees beside his lifeless fiance.

"Tetsuya!" he whispered, tears flooding his eyes as he took in the horrid sight, "Kami, Tetsuya...p-please...!"

A sob escaped him and he didn't resist the hands that took hold of him.

"Inoue-chan," he said breathlessly, "Tell me...can you save him?"

Orihime met his eyes worriedly.

"I am trying," she answered, tears coming to her eyes, "But my powers aren't fully restored from when I was healing people earlier. It's okay, though. I won't let him die. And...I have already stabilized the baby."

"The...?"

The gathered shinigamis went silent, staring down at Orihime and Tetsuya, and feeling the sense of tragedy deepen. Shirohoshi's brother's eyes darkened, but he remained silent, watching closely.

"Then..." managed Byakuya, "My cousin is...?"

"There is a smaller reiatsu inside him," explained Orihime, "I wouldn't have known what it was, but when I trained with the shinigami, Hachi, for a time, he explained that some noble males can be impregnated. The reiatsu of the two connects and is captured in a special internal chamber that forms. The baby remains in reiatsu form until it has matured, then emerges out of the body, where it forms into the body of the child. To harm the baby, there would have had to be a direct penetration of his body in that area, or a strong, disrupting force. Despite how badly he was hurt, Tetsuya-san was able to avoid taking a direct hit to that area."

"A baby," Ichigo mused, staring down at Tetsuya.

"Th-that must be what he was trying to tell me," Shirohoshi sobbed softly, taking Tetsuya's pale hand and bringing it to his lips.

He kissed the other man's fingertips tenderly, then brought their joined hands to his heart. Byakuya stiffened and frowned, but sheathed his sword.

"You are under clan arrest, Hiromatsu Shirohoshi," he said in a low, threatening voice, "In addition to having violated clan rules by having sexual relations with Tetsuya before your wedding, you are the last person known to have seen him before this happened!"

The younger shinigami's hand tightened on Tetsuya's and he closed his eyes, loosing several tears to roll down his paled face.

"Byakuya-san," he said in a soft, devastated voice, "Take any action you must, but...please do not ask me to leave Tetsuya's side. I can't leave him...n-not like this!"

"Byakuya," said Shirohoshi's brother, "I will accept that you have the right to take my brother into custody, however, I ask that you allow the two to remain together until Tetsuya is stabilized. Shiro is obviously very distraught over this. You cannot truly think that he would have hurt Tetsuya this way..."

Byakuya gazed quietly down at the two, then looked back up at the Hiromatsu leader.

"He may remain at my cousin's side," Byakuya said in a low, still angry tone, "But he will have his powers sealed away and be under guard until this matter is resolved."

"Thank you, Byakuya."

The Hiromatsu clan leader turned to the two attendants who had arrived with him.

"Jun, Ken, he said quietly, "You will return home and make an emergency report to the council. We will want to meet as soon as possible."

"To see to Shiro-sama's release?" asked Jun.

The clan leader frowned.

"To see that our clan does not fall under suspicion. Someone has tried to frame my brother for murder and I want to find out who!"

He watched solemnly as the attendants disappeared, then stood, watching Shirohoshi and Tetsuya.

"You really think this was aimed at you?" asked Ichigo, making the Hiromatsu clan leader blink in surprise.

He turned his head to look at the young man who had spoken.

"I'm Kurosaki...eh, Shiba Ichigo."

The other man nodded.

"I know who you are," he acknowledged, "And I was hoping that we would meet, although I cannot imagine worse circumstances. I am Hisashi...Hiromatsu Hisashi...leader of the Hiromatsu clan."

Renji felt an uncomfortable twinge inside as the man extended a hand and Ichigo accepted it and shook it gently.

"I wish we could have met under better circumstances also," Ichigo said solemnly, "But let me just tell you. You don't have to worry about the wrong person being blamed for this. If your brother is innocent, as you say, he will have nothing to worry about. Because Tetsuya is my friend...and come hell or worse, I am going to find the bastards who did this and I am going to destroy them!"

"Then," said the Hiromatsu clan leader, "we are joined in purpose...Shiba Ichigo."


End file.
